Predictors of safer sex behaviors of midlife and older women

Heterosexual transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in midlife and older women is increasing, yet little is known about the safer sex practices of these women. Identification of HIV risk and protective factors necessitates understanding of the influences of individual, interpersonal, and socio-environmental factors on the sexual behaviors of this understudied, at-risk population. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of self esteem, sensation seeking, self silencing, sexual assertiveness, and HIV-stigma on the safer sex behaviors of women aged 50 and older. ^ This study was guided by the ecological perspective which emphasizes the multilevel factors affecting health behaviors within individual, interpersonal, and socio-environmental contexts. A community-based, ethnically diverse sample of 572 women aged 50 to 93 (M = 63.6 years, SD = 10.5) completed a 128-item anonymous questionnaire. This study used a cross-sectional, correlational research design. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. ^ Results from the regression analysis with the predictors (i.e., ethnicity, education, self esteem, sensation seeking, self silencing, sexual assertiveness, and HIV stigma) indicated the model significantly predicted safer sex behaviors (p < .001). Self silencing (β = -.115, p < .05) was a significant predictor. The lower the self silencing scores, the higher the safer sex behavior scores. Further exploration of the data revealed that the greater the age of the woman, the more likely she is to engage in safer sex behaviors (β = .173, p < .001). While the data showed this model was statistically significant, its practical significance may be limited due to the low proportion of variance explained by age and self silencing. HIV/AIDS prevention interventions that are socially anchored, age-appropriate, and gender-specific are discussed and recommendations for socially meaningful strategies to reduce the number of new cases of HIV/AIDS in midlife and older women are presented. ^

Thermodynamic description and phase transformation of highly symmetrical monoatomic structures

Based on theoretical considerations an explanation for the temperature dependence of the thermal expansion and the bulk modulus is proposed. A new equation state is also derived. Additionally a physical explanation for the latent heat of fusion is presented. These theoretical predictions are tested against experiments on highly symmetrical monatomic structures. ^ The volume is not an independent variable and must be broken down into its fundamental components when the relationships to the pressure and temperature are defined. Using zero pressure and temperature reference frame, the initial parameters, volume at zero pressure and temperature[V°], bulk modulus at zero temperature [K°] and volume coefficient of thermal expansion at zero pressure[α°] are defined. ^ The new derived EoS is tested against the experiments on perovskite and epsilon iron. The Root-mean-square-deviations (RMSD) of the residuals of the molar volume, pressure, and temperature are in the range of the uncertainty of the experiments. ^ Separating the experiments into 200 K ranges, the new EoS was compared to the most widely used finite strain, interatomic potential, and empirical isothermal EoSs such as the Burch-Murnaghan, the Vinet, and the Roy-Roy respectively. Correlation coefficients, RMSD's of the residuals, and Akaike Information Criteria were used for evaluating the fitting. Based on these fitting parameters, the new p-V-T EoS is superior in every temperature range relative to the investigated conventional isothermal EoS. ^ The new EoS for epsilon iron reproduces the preliminary-reference earth-model (PREM) densities at 6100-7400 K indicating that the presence of light elements might not be necessary to explain the Earth's inner core densities. ^ It is suggested that the latent heat of fusion supplies the energy required for overcoming on the viscous drag resistance of the atoms. The calculated energies for melts formed from highly symmetrical packing arrangements correlate very well with experimentally determined latent heat values. ^ The optical investigation of carhonado-diamond is also part of the dissertation. The collected first complete infrared FTIR absorption spectra for carhonado-diamond confirm the interstellar origin for the most enigmatic diamonds known as carbonado. ^

An investigation into equations for estimating water requirements and the development of new equations for predicting total water intake

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate agreement among five equations by which clinicians estimate water requirements (EWR) and to determine how well these equations predict total water intake (TWI). The Institute of Medicine has used TWI as a measure of water requirements. A secondary goal of this study was to develop practical equations to predict TWI. These equations could then be considered accurate predictors of an individual’s water requirement. ^ Regressions were performed to determine agreement between the five equations and between the five equations and TWI using NHANES 1999–2004. The criteria for agreement was (1) strong correlation coefficients between all comparisons and (2) regression line that was not significantly different when compared to the line of equality (x=y) i.e., the 95% CI of the slope and intercept must include one and zero, respectively. Correlations were performed to determine association between fat-free mass (FFM) and TWI. Clinically significant variables were selected to build equations for predicting TWI. All analyses were performed with SAS software and were weighted to account for the complex survey design and for oversampling. ^ Results showed that the five EWR equations were strongly correlated but did not agree with each other. Further, the EWR equations were all weakly associated to TWI and lacked agreement with TWI. The strongest agreement between the NRC equation and TWI explained only 8.1% of the variability of TWI. Fat-free mass was positively correlated to TWI. Two models were created to predict TWI. Both models included the variables, race/ethnicity, kcals, age, and height, but one model also included FFM and gender. The other model included BMI and osmolality. Neither model accounted for more than 28% of the variability of TWI. These results provide evidence that estimates of water requirements would vary depending upon which EWR equation was selected by the clinician. None of the existing EWR equations predicted TWI, nor could a prediction equation be created which explained a satisfactory amount of variance in TWI. A good estimate of water requirements may not be predicted by TWI. Future research should focus on using more valid measures to predict water requirements.^

Spirituality and transformational leadership in education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between school principals' self-reported spirituality and their transformational leadership behaviors. The relationship between spirituality and transactional leadership behaviors was also explored. The study used Bass and Avolio's (1984) Full Range Leadership Model as the theoretical framework conceptualizing transformational leadership. Data were collected using online surveys. Overall, six principals and sixty-nine teachers participated in the study. Principal surveys contained three parts: the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form-5X Short), the modified Spirituality Well-Being Scale (SWBS) and demographic information. Teacher surveys included two parts: the MLQ-5X and demographic information. The MLQ-5X was used to identify the degree of principals' transformational and transactional leadership behaviors. The modified SWBS (Existential Well Being) was used to determine principals' degree of spirituality. The correlation coefficients for the transformational leadership styles of inspirational motivation and idealized behavioral influence were significantly related to principals' spirituality. In addition, a multiple regression analysis including the five measures of transformational leadership as predictors suggested that spirituality is positively related to an individual's transformational leadership behaviors. A multiple regression analysis utilizing a linear combination of all transformational leadership and transactional measures was predictive of spirituality. Finally, it appears that the inspirational motivation measure of transformational leadership accounts for a significant amount of unique variance independent of the other seven transformational and transactional leadership measures in predicting spirituality. Based on the findings from this study, the researcher proposed a modification of Bass and Avolio's (1985) Full Range Leadership Model. An additional dimension, spirituality, was added to the continuum of leadership styles. The findings from this study imply that principals' self-reported levels of spirituality was related to their being perceived as displaying transformational leadership behaviors. Principals who identified themselves as "spiritual", were more likely to be characterized by the transformational leadership style of inspirational motivation.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices affecting health behaviors in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command population of Rangers

Malaria is a threat to United States military personnel operating in endemic areas, from which there have been hundreds of cases reported over the past decade. Each of these cases might have been avoided with proper adherence to malaria chemoprophylaxis medications. Military operations may detract from the strict 100% adherence required of these preventive medications. However, the reasons for non-adherence in military populations are not well understood. This behavior was investigated using a cross sectional study design on a convenience sample of U.S. Army Ranger volunteers (n=150) located at three military instillations. Theoretical support was based on components of the Health Belief Model, the Theory of Reasoned Action/Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Social Cognitive Theory. ^ Data on knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as multiple environmental domains was collected using an original yet unvalidated questionnaire. The data was analyzed using bivariate Pearson correlations, binary logistic regression, and moderated logistic regressions employing a 0.05 criterion of statistical significance. Power analyses predicted 96-98% power for this analysis. ^ Multiple significant medium strength Pearson correlation coefficients were identified relative to the two dependent variables Take medications as directed and Intend to take the medications as directed the next time. Binary logistic regression analyses identified multiple variables that may predict behavioral intentions to adhere to these preventive medications, as a proxy for behavioral change. Moderated logistic regression analyses identified Command Support for adherence to these medications as a potential significant moderator that interacts with independent variables within three domains of the survey questionnaire. ^ The findings indicate that there may be potential significant beneficial effects, which may improve this behavior in this population of Rangers through 1) promoting affirmative interpersonal communications that emphasize adherence to these medications, 2) including malaria chemoprophylaxis medications in the mission planning process, and 3) military command support, in the form of including the importance of proper adherence to these medications in the unit safety briefings.^

Reliability of the Clinical Application of a Mechanical Inclinometer in Measuring Glenohumeral Motion

Objective: Establish intra- and inter-examiner reliability of glenohumeral range of motion (ROM) measures taken by a single-clinician using a mechanical inclinometer. Design: A single-session, repeated-measure, randomized, counterbalanced design. Setting: Athletic Training laboratory. Participants: Ten college-aged volunteers (9 right-hand dominant; 4 males, 6 females; age=23.2±2.4y, mass=73±16kg, height=170±8cm) without shoulder or neck injuries within one year. Interventions: Two Certified Athletic Trainers separately assessed passive glenohumeral (GH) internal (IR) and external (ER) rotation bilaterally. Each clinician secured the inclinometer to each subject’s distal forearm using elastic straps. Clinicians followed standard procedures for assessing ROM, with the participants supine on a standard treatment table with 90° of elbow flexion. A second investigator recorded the angle. Clinicians measured all shoulders once to assess inter-clinician reliability and eight shoulders twice to assess intra-clinician reliability. We used SPSS 14.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) to calculate standard error of measure (SEM) and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) to evaluate intra- and inter-clinician reliability. Main Outcome Measures: Dependent variables were degrees of IR, ER, glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) and total arc of rotation. We calculated GIRD as the bilateral difference in IR (nondominant–dominant) and total arc for each shoulder (IR+ER). Results: Intra-clinician reliability for each examiner was excellent (ICC[1,1] range=0.90-0.96; SEM=2.2°-2.5°) for all measures. Examiners displayed excellent inter-clinician reliability (ICC[2,1] range=0.79-0.97; SEM=1.7°-3.0°) for all measures except nondominant IR which had good reliability(0.72). Conclusions: Results suggest that clinicians can achieve reliable measures of GH rotation and GIRD using a single-clinician technique and an inexpensive, readily available mechanical inclinometer.

Risk -taking propensity of faculty, administrators, and academic department heads at a large, urban, multi -campus community college

This research was undertaken to explore dimensions of the risk construct, identify factors related to risk-taking in education, and study risk propensity among employees at a community college. Risk-taking propensity (RTP) was measured by the 12-item BCDQ, which consisted of personal and professional risk-related situations balanced for the money, reputation, and satisfaction dimensions of the risk construct. Scoring ranged from 1.00 (most cautious) to 6.00 (most risky).^ Surveys including the BCDQ and seven demographic questions relating to age, gender, professional status, length of service, academic discipline, highest degree, and campus location were sent to faculty, administrators, and academic department heads. A total of 325 surveys were returned, resulting in a 66.7% response rate. Subjects were relatively homogeneous for age, length of service, and highest degree.^ Subjects were also homogeneous for risk-taking propensity: no substantive differences in RTP scores were noted within and among demographic groups, with the possible exception of academic discipline. The mean RTP score for all subjects was 3.77, for faculty was 3.76, for administrators was 3.83, and for department heads was 3.64.^ The relationship between propensity to take personal risks and propensity to take professional risks was tested by computing Pearson r correlation coefficients. The relationships for the total sample, faculty, and administrator groups were statistically significant, but of limited practical significance. Subjects were placed into risk categories by dividing the response scale into thirds. A 3 x 3 factorial ANOVA revealed no interaction effects between professional status and risk category with regard to RTP score. A discriminant analysis showed that a seven-factor model was not effective in predicting risk category.^ The homogeneity of the study sample and the effect of a risk-encouraging environment were discussed in the context of the community college. Since very little data on risk-taking in education is available, risk propensity data from this study could serve as a basis for comparison to future research. Results could be used by institutions to plan professional development activities, designed to increase risk-taking and encourage active acceptance of change. ^

A comparison of upper division performance of community college transfer students to native university students

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that no differences existed in the upper division performance of academically excellent community college transfer students when compared to native university students. The relationship of enrollment patterns such as skipped terms, dropped terms, summer session utilization, college of major, credits attempted, credits received, test scores, and current status were also studied.^ The data were collected through a hand analysis of 673 student transcripts which provided the information for a database designed specifically for this study. The subjects were 229 transfers from Miami-Dade Community College and 444 natives from Florida International University. The students all began their studies in the lower division in the Fall term of 1982, 1983 or 1984 and eventually transferred to the upper division at FIU. This longitudinal study followed the upper division performance and enrollment patterns through the Spring term of 1991.^ Data analysis included chi-square for all categorical and numerical variables; t-tests were performed for the numerical variables. Correlation coefficients, Two-Way Analysis of Variance and Three-Way Crosstabulations were also used when indicated. There were significant differences among the upper division performance of community college transfer students and native university students for the graduation rate and the GPA range. A significant difference was also found between the math and essay CLAST scores, number of summer terms utilized, number of terms to graduation, current enrollment status, and credits attempted and received for the groups. ^

Risk-taking propensity of faculty, administrators and academic departament heads at large, urban, multicampus community college

This research was undertaken to explore dimensions of the risk construct, identify factors related to risk-taking in education, and study risk propensity among employees at a community college. Risk-taking propensity (RTP) was measured by the 12-item BCDQ, which consisted of personal and professional risk-related situations balanced for the money, reputation, and satisfaction dimensions of the risk construct. Scoring ranged from 1.00 (most cautious) to 6.00 (most risky). Surveys including the BCDQ and seven demographic questions relating to age, gender, professional status, length of service, academic discipline, highest degree, and campus location were sent to faculty, administrators, and academic department heads. A total of 325 surveys were returned, resulting in a 66.7% response rate. Subjects were relatively homogeneous for age, length of service, and highest degree. Subjects were also homogeneous for risk-taking propensity: no substantive differences in RTP scores were noted within and among demographic groups, with the possible exception of academic discipline. The mean RTP score for all subjects was 3.77, for faculty was 3.76, for administrators was 3.83, and for department heads was 3.64. The relationship between propensity to take personal risks and propensity to take professional risks was tested by computing Pearson r correlation coefficients. The relationships for the total sample, faculty, and administrator groups were statistically significant, but of limited practical significance. Subjects were placed into risk categories by dividing the response scale into thirds. A 3 X 3 factorial ANOVA revealed no interaction effects between professional status and risk category with regard to RTP score. A discriminant analysis showed that a seven-factor model was not effective in predicting risk category. The homogeneity of the study sample and the effect of a risk encouraging environment were discussed in the context of the community college. Since very little data on risk-taking in education is available, risk propensity data from this study could serve as a basis for comparison to future research. Results could be used by institutions to plan professional development activities, designed to increase risk-taking and encourage active acceptance of change.

Increasing nurse's knowledge of neonatal pain assessment through inservice education program

Recognizing neonatal pain is a challenge for nurses working with newborns due to the complexity of the pain phenomenon. Pain is subjective, and infants lack the ability to communicate, and their pain is difficult to recognize. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of education on the NICU nurses' ability to assess neonatal pain. With a better understanding of pain theory and the effects of pain on the newborn the nurse will be better able to assess newborns with pain. Designed as a quasi-experimental one-group pretest and posttest study, the data was collected on a convenience sample of 49 registered nurses employed in the neonatal and special care nursery units at a Childrens Hospital in the Miami area. The nurses were surveyed on the assessment of neonatal pain using the General Information and Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire. After the initial survey, the nurses were inserviced on neonatal pain assessment using a one hour inservice education program. One week after the intervention the nurse was asked to complete the questionnaire again. Data analysis involved comparision of pre and post intervention findings using descriptive methods, t test, correlation coefficients, and ANOVA , where applicable. Findings revealed a significant ( p=.006) increase in nurse's knowledge of neonatal pain assessment after completing the educational inservice when comparing the pre-test and post-test results.

Further evidence for the relationship between eating frequency, body mass index, and physical activity

The relationship between the frequency of eating, physical activity and Body Mass Index (BMI) was investigated. Seventy five women, aged 24 to 55, were recruited from Florida International University. Via interview, subjects provided information regarding demographics and habitual eating frequency over 24-hours, and completed both the Baecke Questionnaire of Habitual Physical Activity and the Health Insurance Plan of New York Questionnaire on Physical Activity. Pearson correlations and partial correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationship between eating frequency, physical activity, age, and BMI. Results revealed significant positive correlations between eating frequency and total physical activity scores, and leisure time physical activity scores, but not between eating frequency and physical activity on the job. Partial correlations suggest that there may be an effect of eating frequency on BMI both through an effect on physical activity and through another mechanism. These results suggest that more frequent eaters tend to be more physically active, which may partially explain why lower body weights is associated with more frequent eating.

Hourly values of X, Y and Z geomagnetic components recorded at Coimbra Station (IAGA code: COI) and local geomagnetic K indices for 2007 to 2014

This study examines the performance of series of two geomagnetic indices and series synthesized from a semi-empirical model of magnetospheric currents, in explaining the geomagnetic activity observed at Northern Hemipshere's mid-latitude ground-based stations. We analyse data, for the 2007 to 2014 period, from four magnetic observatories (Coimbra, Portugal; Panagyurishte, Bulgary; Novosibirsk, Russia and Boulder, USA), at geomagnetic latitudes between 40° and 50° N. The quiet daily (QD) variation is firstly removed from the time series of the geomagnetic horizontal component (H) using natural orthogonal components (NOC) tools. We compare the resulting series with series of storm-time disturbance (Dst) and ring current (RC) indices and with H series synthesized from the Tsyganenko and Sitnov (2005, doi:10.1029/2004JA010798) (TS05) semi-empirical model of storm-time geomagnetic field. In the analysis, we separate days with low and high local K-index values. Our results show that NOC models are as efficient as standard models of QD variation in preparing raw data to be compared with proxies, but with much less complexity. For the two stations in Europe, we obtain indication that NOC models could be able to separate ionospheric and magnetospheric contributions. Dst and RC series explain the four observatory H-series successfully, with values for the mean of significant correlation coefficients, from 0.5 to 0.6 during low geomagnetic activity (K less than 4) and from 0.6 to 0.7 for geomagnetic active days (K greater than or equal to 4). With regard to the performance of TS05, our results show that the four observatories separate into two groups: Coimbra and Panagyurishte, in one group, for which the magnetospheric/ionospheric ratio in QD variation is smaller, a dominantly QD ionospheric contribution can be removed and TS05 simulations are the best proxy; Boulder and Novosibirsk,in the other group, for which the ionospheric and magnetospheric contributions in QD variation can not be differentiated and correlations with TS05 series can not be made to improve. The main contributor to magnetospheric QD signal are Birkeland currents. The relatively good success of TS05 model in explaining ground-based irregular geomagnetic activity at mid-latitudes makes it an effective tool to classify storms according to their main sources. For Coimbra and Panagyurishte in particular, where ionospheric and magnetospheric daily contributions seem easier to separate, we can aspire to use the TS05 model for ensemble generation in space weather (SW) forecasting and interpretation of past SW events.

Avaliação da aplicabilidade de correlações matemáticas e redes neurais na predição de parâmetros de especificação do diesel

Diesel fuel is one of leading petroleum products marketed in Brazil, and has its quality monitored by specialized laboratories linked to the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels - ANP. The main trial evaluating physicochemical properties of diesel are listed in the resolutions ANP Nº 65 of December 9th, 2011 and Nº 45 of December 20th, 2012 that determine the specification limits for each parameter and methodologies of analysis that should be adopted. However the methods used although quite consolidated, require dedicated equipment with high cost of acquisition and maintenance, as well as technical expertise for completion of these trials. Studies for development of more rapid alternative methods and lower cost have been the focus of many researchers. In this same perspective, this work conducted an assessment of the applicability of existing specialized literature on mathematical equations and artificial neural networks (ANN) for the determination of parameters of specification diesel fuel. 162 samples of diesel with a maximum sulfur content of 50, 500 and 1800 ppm, which were analyzed in a specialized laboratory using ASTM methods recommended by the ANP, with a total of 810 trials were used for this study. Experimental results atmospheric distillation (ASTM D86), and density (ASTM D4052) of diesel samples were used as basic input variables to the equations evaluated. The RNAs were applied to predict the flash point, cetane number and sulfur content (S50, S500, S1800), in which were tested network architectures feed-forward backpropagation and generalized regression varying the parameters of the matrix input in order to determine the set of variables and the best type of network for the prediction of variables of interest. The results obtained by the equations and RNAs were compared with experimental results using the nonparametric Wilcoxon test and Student's t test, at a significance level of 5%, as well as the coefficient of determination and percentage error, an error which was obtained 27, 61% for the flash point using a specific equation. The cetane number was obtained by three equations, and both showed good correlation coefficients, especially equation based on aniline point, with the lowest error of 0,816%. ANNs for predicting the flash point and the index cetane showed quite superior results to those observed with the mathematical equations, respectively, with errors of 2,55% and 0,23%. Among the samples with different sulfur contents, the RNAs were better able to predict the S1800 with error of 1,557%. Generally, networks of the type feedforward proved superior to generalized regression.

Analysis of bio-derived platform chemicals in ionic liquid media by desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

In this work, desorption/ionization mass spectrometry was employed for the analysis of sugars and small platform chemicals that are common intermediates in biomass transformation reactions. Specifically, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) mass spectrometric techniques were employed as alternatives to traditional chromatographic methods. Ionic liquid matrices (ILMs) were designed based on traditional solid MALDI matrices (2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) and α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA)) and 1,3-dialkylimidazolium ionic liquids ([BMIM]Cl, [EMIM]Cl, and [EMIM]OAc) that have been employed as reaction media for biomass transformation reactions such as the conversion of carbohydrates to valuable platform chemicals. Although two new ILMs were synthesized ([EMIM][DHB] and [EMIM][CHCA] from [EMIM]OAc), chloride-containing ILs did not react with matrices and resulted in mixtures of IL and matrix in solution. Compared to the parent solid matrices, much less matrix interference was observed in the low mass region of the mass spectrum (< 500 Da) using each of the IL-matrices. Furthermore, the formation of a true ILM (i.e. a new ion pair) does not appear to be necessary for analyte ionization. MALDI sample preparation techniques were optimized based on the compatibility with analyte, IL and matrix. ILMs and IL-matrix mixtures of DHB allowed for qualitative analysis of glucose, fructose, sucrose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. Analogous CHCA-containing ILMs did not result in appreciable analyte signals under similar conditions. Small platform compounds such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and levulinic acid were not detected by direct analysis using MALDI-MS. Furthermore, sugar analyte signals were only detected at relatively high matrix:IL:analyte ratios (1:1:1) due to significant matrix and analyte suppression by the IL ions. Therefore, chemical modification of analytes with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (GTMA) was employed to extend this method to quantitative applications. Derivatization was accomplished in aqueous IL solutions with fair reaction efficiencies (36.9 – 48.4 % glucose conversion). Calibration curves of derivatized glucose-GTMA yielded good linearity in all solvent systems tested, with decreased % RSDs of analyte ion signals in IL solutions as compared to purely aqueous systems (1.2 – 7.2 % and 4.2 – 8.7 %, respectively). Derivatization resulted in a substantial increase in sensitivity for MALDI-MS analyses: glucose was reliably detected at IL:analyte ratios of 100:1 (as compared to 1:1 prior to derivatization). Screening of all test analytes resulted in appreciable analyte signals in MALDI-MS spectra, including both HMF and levulinic acid. Using appropriate internal standards, calibration curves were constructed and this method was employed for monitoring a model dehydration reaction of fructose to HMF in [BMIM]Cl. Calibration curves showed wide dynamic ranges (LOD – 100 ng fructose/μg [BMIM]Cl, LOD – 75 ng HMF/μg [BMIM]Cl) with correlation coefficients of 0.9973 (fructose) and 0.9931 (HMF). LODs were estimated from the calibration data to be 7.2 ng fructose/μg [BMIM]Cl and 7.5 ng HMF/μg [BMIM]Cl, however relatively high S/N ratios at these concentrations indicate that these values are likely overestimated. Application of this method allowed for the rapid acquisition of quantitative data without the need for prior separation of analyte and IL. Finally, small molecule platform chemicals HMF and levulinic acid were qualitatively analyzed by DESI-MS. Both HMF and levulinic acid were easily ionized and the corresponding molecular ions were easily detected in the presence of 10 – 100 times IL, without the need for chemical modification prior to analysis. DESI-MS analysis of ILs in positive and negative ion modes resulted in few ions in the low mass region, showing great potential for the analysis of small molecules in IL media.

Escala diagramática e influência de sistemas de produção na ocorrência do crestamento gomoso da melancia

CHAPTER 1 - The gummy stem blight, caused by the fungus D. bryoniae, is a disease commonly found in watermelon cultivated in several countries. In Brazil, there are numerous studies related to the disease, but there are not uniform methods for quantifying of disease severity in the field. Thus, we developed a diagrammatic scale based on scanned photos of watermelon leaves infected with D. bryoniae. The scale developed showed levels of 0; 10; 20; 45; 65 and 90% of severity. The scale validation was divided into two parts: initially, 10 evaluators (half with experienced and other half without experience) estimated the disease severity based on the initial observation of 100 photos of watermelon leaves with symptoms of the disease at different severity levels. Before, the same evaluators estimated the disease severity with the support of the scale prepared from the Quant program. Data were analyzed using linear regression and were obtained angular, linear, and correlation coefficients. Based on these data, we determined the accuracy and precision of the evaluations. The correlation coefficients (R2) ranged from 0.88 - 0.97 for the experienced evaluators and from 0.55 - 0.95 for the inexperienced evaluators. The average angular coefficient (A) for inexperienced evaluators was 20.42 and 8.61 with and without the support of diagrammatic scale, respectively. Experienced evaluators showed values of average linear coefficient of 5.30 and 1.68 with and without the support of diagrammatic scale, respectively. The absolute errors analysis indicated that the use of diagrammatic scale contributed to minimize the flaws in the severity levels estimation. The diagrammatic scale proposed shown adequate for gummy stem blight severity evaluation in watermelon. CHAPTER 2 - The gummy stem blight (Didymella bryoniae) is a disease that affects the productivity of watermelon leading to losses over 40%. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of different production systems in control of gummy stem blight in watermelon for to establish efficient methods to combat the disease. There were applied the following treatments: conventional tillage (T1), integrated management (T2) and organic management (T3). In T1 and T2 were applied mineral fertilization and T3 was used bovine manure. There was application of fungicides and insecticides in commercial dose in T1 and T2, being after soil chemical analysis in T2. Disease severity was assessed by grading scale. The experimental design was randomized blocks. The severity of gummy stem blight has increased substantially during the fruit formation. Watermelon plants grown with integrated management (T2) showed lower levels of disease severity, while plants in organic management (T3) exhibited higher levels of severity. We conclude that management based on judicious accompaniments in field represents best way to achieve the phytosanitary aspect adequate for cultivation of watermelon in Tocantins.